Hypertension - Determining If You Are At Risk
Many factors play a role in the development of high blood pressure. Some factors, such as your family history, ethnic background, age, and gender, can't be controlled while other factors, such as diet, exercise, stress, your smoking and drinking habits, and a tendency to park as close to the exercise facility as possible, can be controlled.
Each factor may be present to a greater or lesser extent in a particular area of the world, so that in some places the prevalence of high blood pressure is low while in others the prevalence of high blood pressure is extremely high and the consequences are severe.
In this chapter, I discuss both the uncontrollable and the controllable factors related to the development of high blood pressure. If you haven't been diagnosed with high blood pressure, be sure to read up on the controllable factors that, if managed over time, can help lessen your chances of developing high blood pressure.
One of the factors that may cause your blood pressure to rise is forgetting your spouse's birthday. Running over the kid's bicycle as you back into the garage may also cause a rise in blood pressure. So be real careful as you're backing your car into the garage. However, if you should forget a loved one's birthday or back over your son's bike, your blood pressure will only rise temporarily.
Factoring in What You Can't Control
This section describes the factors in your life that you can't control. Your family history, ethnic background, gender, and age can't be altered. These uncontrollable factors aren't quite the same as the problem that arises when you hang something in your closet for a while, and it shrinks two sizes.
Although you can't control these factors, knowing how they contribute to high blood pressure is important. However, don't think that you don't have to be cautious. Allow yourself to become obese, and you may be the exception who has high blood pressure in your group. Looking at the global picture
The prevalence of high blood pressure throughout the world can be broken down into four major categories as follows:
Zero: A few isolated groups, such as in the Amazon, have zero high blood pressure.
Low: The incidence of high blood pressure is low (below 15 percent) in the rural populations of Latin and South America, China, and Africa.
Normal: Most often, high blood pressure prevails in about 15 to 30 percent of a given population, such as in most of the industrialized nations - Japan, Europe, and the Caucasian population of the United States.
High: A high percentage (30 to 40 percent) is found in the Russian Federation, Finland, Poland, and among African Americans.
Wherever high blood pressure is found, heart, brain, and kidney complications are similarly high. The burden of disease due to high blood pressure is enormous in countries like the Russian Federation but no more than among African Americans. Brain attack, usually related to high blood pressure, is the second leading cause of death in Japan, and a continued emphasis on blood pressure control to prevent stroke
Several studies conducted throughout the world on high blood pressure show that a high percentage of high blood pressure in various populations often coexists with poor awareness and insufficient treatment.
For example, a study in the Archives of Brazilian Cardiology shows that the percentages of high blood pressure in Brazil are similar to the United States, but only a fraction of the population with high blood pressure in Brazil can control it. And similarly, several European populations were aware of their high blood pressure but unable to control it. For example, in Spain they use a blood pressure of 160/95 mm Hg as the cutoff point to begin treatment rather than 140/90 mm Hg while in France both awareness and treatment are inadequate. The blood pressure of many South Koreans is also generally on the high end. And although many receive treatment, few South Koreans are able to control their high blood pressure
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